Carter Can Have You... Part II
by Hanna Loves Llamas
Summary: Okay, well here is part II of my story "Carter Can Have You" (as you can probably tell from the title) Well anyway, just read 'em


The door to Doc Magoo's slammed behind them and they stepped out into the nippy October cold

The door to Doc Magoo's slammed behind them and they stepped out into the nippy October cold.

Abby pulled her coat tighter around herself with her remaining hand.Her other arm was tucked comfortably in Carter's.

"It's freezing out here," he remarked, his nose already turning red from the cold.

Abby nodded simply.She hated the cold.She could feel the tears in the corners of her eyes start to freeze.

Carter saw how uncomfortable she was, so he decided that a walk through the streets would neither cause her to open up nor be good for her body temperature.

He stepped on the curb and stuck a hand out to hail a cab.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking up.

"Well," he began with a determined look on his face, "we are going to my apartment.You are going to warm up and then tell me what's going on."

The caring gaze they held tugged at Abby's heart.When a cab pulled up, Carter opened the door for her before he got in and directed the driver to his apartment.

The short ride was basically a silent one.Abby stared out the window, letting her mind debate with itself once again.

Carter sat beside her, his hands folded, his mind full of concern for Abby and full of wonder about the state of cleanliness of his apartment.

He looked over at his companion and could practically hear her chattering teeth. Pulling off his coat, he lay a gentle hand on her shoulder."Use this, Abby."

Too emotionally drained to object, she nodded and let him put the coat over her like a blanket."Thanks," she said sincerely.

"No problem," he replied with a smile.

The cab pulled up in front of Carter's building.He paid the driver and opened the door for Abby before helping her out of the cab.

"Here, you can have this back-" Abby began, taking off Carter's coat.

"No, no.I'm fine."Abby could see he was lying through his teeth.

With a hand on the small of her back, Carter guided Abby into the building and up the elevator until they reached his floor.When they stepped in front of his door, he patted his pockets in search of his keys.Realizing they were in his coat pocket, he turned to Abby.

"My keys," he explained.She nodded and he reached inside the pocket.When his hand brushed her hip, she felt her heart start to pound like a sledgehammer.

"Here we go," he said, pulling the keys out and causing Abby's heart to flutter with another unintentional touch.

She watched his steady hand unlock the door and pull it open.He held it for her as she stepped inside.

Nicely furnished, she noticed.A small but complete kitchen, opposite a living room with a big soft couch.A dusty, empty wine rack sat in one corner;a stereo system was perched in another.

He took off Abby's coats and put them on a rack."Coffee?" he asked, motioning towards the machine's pot, into which a stream of brown liquid was pouring.

"Please," she replied.He handed her a steaming mug and motioned over to the couch.They sat down, she with her feet on the couch and her knees at her chest.After a few sips of coffee, he turned to face her.

"So, Abby.What's going on?"

She thought about playing dumb.She thought about blurting it all out.Could she strike an equilibrium?

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling."It's just… there is so much going on with me right now.And I sometimes feel like I can't deal with it all."She felt the tears returning and let one trickle down her cheek.

Carter nodded."Tell me about it.Really, Abby, you can talk to me."

She nodded and clunked her mug onto the coffee table in front of them.She brought her chin onto her knees."Well, you probably heard about Luka and me."

Carter raised an eyebrow."No, actually, I haven't.What, are you two engaged or something?"His heart began to sink in his chest.

Abby let out a bitter chuckle through her tears."Ha.Not quite."

"Well then…"

"Carter, we _broke up."_The tears came faster now and she let them.

"Oh, Abby-"Carter didn't know what to say."Abby, I'm so sorry."

She nodded and continued to cry.He moved closer to her and they fell into a tight embrace.As soon as they touched, she felt those same old flutterings in her heart.She lay her head on his shoulder.He rubbed her back and whispered soothing words into her ear.

After an unmeasurable period of time - it could have been minutes, or even an hour - he pulled her back and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.She was sure he could hear her pounding heart.

"Listen to me, Abby," Carter began."You're going to get on with your life.You're a beautiful woman and you're going to make some guy extremely happy."

She rolled her eyes and broke away from his gaze.

"Hey!I'm serious here.Any guy would be privileged to have you."When she still didn't look up, he took a finger and put it under her chin, gently lifting her face until it was level with his.

"Abby, I mean it," he said.He'd never meant anything more in his life.

She smiled.Her first real smile in a while."Thank you," she said softly.

As the distance between their lips got smaller and smaller, the familiar thought came back _- "Carter can have you."_

And so he can, Abby thought happily as their lips touched.And so he can.


End file.
